Christ-Centered Shepherding

By Chan Kilgore

The Call to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

“Pastoring” and “shepherding” are used interchangeably in the Bible. They communicate nurture and guidance. The call of a shepherd is to lead people entrusted to one’s care into gospel transformation that leads to spiritual maturity.

I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding. (Jer 3:15)

This short promise demonstrates that God chooses regularly to engage humans in the tasks of leadership.  A shepherding appointment by God implies capacity and competency.

The Capacity to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

This shepherding call speaks of a capacity to care for God’s flock with self-sacrificing diligence and compassion. It is not just “heart”, however, but “after my own heart” that matters. A good shepherd is one who sees what the Owner sees and does what the Owner does. He is a leader because he is a follower. He takes all his shepherding cues from the “Good Shepherd.” The shepherds whom God judges in the Bible are those who forget that the people in their care are not their own. This kind of shepherding capacity is rooted in a heart that has been transformed by the Gospel.

The Competency to Shepherd in The Way of Christ

This shepherding call speaks of a competency to care for God’s flock with “knowledge and understanding.” A shepherd needs God’s heart, but also a sharp, godly mind. The challenge requires deep reservoirs of discernment and wisdom. This kind of “knowledge and understanding” comes from an awareness of the mission and destiny of Christ’s flock which is gospel transformation.

Him we proclaim, warning everyone and teaching everyone with all wisdom, that we may present everyone mature in Christ. For this I toil, struggling with all his energy that he powerfully works within me. (Colossians 1:28-29)

This kind of shepherding capacity is rooted in a mind that has been transformed by the Gospel.

Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that by testing you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and acceptable and perfect.  (Romans 12:1)

The Responsibility of Shepherding in The Way of Christ

As shepherds we have the responsibility to admonish, encourage and help those entrusted to our pastoral care.

And we urge you, brethren, admonish the unruly, encourage the fainthearted, help the weak, be patient with all men. (1 Thessalonians 5:14)

Admonish - To warn of consequences of continuing on the same path. To discipline. To allow brokenness to take place.

Encourage - To renew hope and healing. To minister comfort, and build up.

Help - Do with them; get involved actively.  Not just words. Needs accountability.

Unruly - Anyone who is willingly and knowingly rebellious to authority, moving off the path of God’s counsel and will.

Fainthearted - One whose heart is weak and hurting!

Weak - One who has no strength, skill or ability.

Be Patient - Accepting those that are unlike us, in preference, ability, and commitment.

All Men - Not only those who are easy to love.

Pitfalls in Shepherding
What happens when we fail to follow God’s Word in shepherding the souls entrusted to us? We become either a soul enabler or a soul crusher.

• A soul-enabler is one who ignores one’s unhealthy behavior. One who fails to speak the truth in love. This often happens in an environment of license (false grace) or when a liberal gospel is preached.

• A soul-crusher is one who reacts inappropriately instead of responding with loving discernment. This often happens in an environment of legalism (lack of grace) or when a moral gospel is preached.

It is difficult to open a person’s spirit once it is closed. A person whose spirit has been crushed will become rebellious because they will not trust you on anything.

What happens if you . . .

Admonish

• the weak
• the fainthearted

Encourage

• the weak
• the unruly

Help

• the unruly
• the fainthearted

Patient

• with anyone

A soul-transformer is one who correctly discerns the condition of the soul and facilitates gospel transformation. The goal of a shepherd is to be a soul-transformer. This happens in an environment in which a true, biblical gospel of grace is preached and incarnated.

Note:  It is often difficult to discern the condition of one’s soul because fainthearted or weak can often look unruly. A wounded person may react violently in self-defense, much like an unruly person would react violently in rebellion. For example, if you unwittingly step on a person’s broken toe you may well get hit. You get hit not because the person is unruly but because the person is wounded. Rarely, are you dealing with a purely unruly person. Oftentimes a person is unruly because they have been deeply wounded.  The reverse is also true. A person who is wounded can be wounded because of their own rebellion. A person who is weak (i.e. lacks interpersonal skills) can be wounded because of the lack of skill. The result is that a weak person can become bitter and angry as a result of one’s weakness. You must rely on spiritual discernment to know in what order you must deal with someone’s rebellion, pain, or weakness. A good guide would be to confront their sin with the truth of God’s Word (admonish), and then minister healing (encourage), and then equip them with the necessary skill (help). I will deal more specifically on how to administer this shepherding triad in forthcoming articles.

Gospel transformation and spiritual growth come when you can discern accurately where the Holy Spirit is at work and simply cooperate with Him. Only the Holy Spirit can change a person’s soul. You can’t change anybody! You simply need to align your shepherding or discipleship efforts with the working power of the Holy Spirit to accurately apply the Word of God to bring about gospel transformation. When you begin to cooperate with the work of the Holy Spirit you will see incredible spiritual fruit and growth in your ministry.

Biblical Shepherding Points People to Christ

Lead people to deal with Christ, not you. The most important aspect of shepherding is to lead people to the Great Shepherd—Christ.  We must lead people to God. Most people prefer anything to that. There will be a tremendous temptation on the part of most people to treat you as a surrogate for God when you answer the call to shepherd them. There will also be a temptation for you to allow them to do so. It is, after all, flattering to be treated in such a way. You must resist the temptation—you are nobody’s savior!

Gospel transformation takes place in our lives only when we deal with God. You must not allow people to treat you as their savior and go away feeling as though they have dealt with God when actually they have only dealt with you. You must ultimately shepherd them to believe the truth of God, to repent before God and to walk in the grace of God.